Salomon CityTrail running shoes

Salomon has created a new running shoe range for city to trail runners.

Salomonâ€™s new series of CityTrail running shoes includes X-Wind Pro, X-Scream, X-Tour, Sense Pro and Sense Mantra 2.Â These shoes are built to offer cushioning and â€œrideâ€ on harder pavements and tarmac while also boasting protection and grip for rougher trails and looser surfaces.

There appear to be some subtle differences across the range and it is worth trying each pair to find the ones that fit the best.

Salomon CityTrail X-Scream

Think, too, about the type of running that you do in urban areas. Is it mostly tarmac or mostly trails or a balanced mix of both?Â It is also worth considering your running style. For example, the Sense Mantras are better suited to mid-foot and fore-foot runners.

Salomon CityTrail Sense Mantra 2

I have noticed a number of brands, including Merrell, bringing out these urban-to-trail running shoes and I can see they will prove useful to people who spend a lot of time running in cities and towns but who also have access to parks, towpaths and some country routes.

For the X-Screams:
â€¢ Salomonâ€™s LT Muscle midsole and OS Tendon for comfortable road running.
â€¢ Salomonâ€™s ContagripÂ® outsole for grip on rougher surfaces.
â€¢ Sensiflexâ„¢, which is a stretch panel on the metatarsal heads that allows the foot to spread during long runs.
â€¢ Sensifitâ„¢ and QuicklaceÂ® to provide a precise and snug fit that is also easily adjusted on the go.

For the Sense Mantras:
â€¢Salomonâ€™s ContagripÂ® outsole.
â€¢ Seamless Sensifit.
â€¢ Quicklaces.
â€¢ Propriotection for a combined â€œgood foot feel and protectionâ€.
â€¢ Second-skin seamless construction.
â€¢ Endofit for an internal fit sleeve designed to hug the foot in exactly the right places and improve feedback and footwrapping.

To be honest, Iâ€™m not keen on all the new fangled (trademarked and registered) technical terms. Do we really need all this? I laughed out loud at â€œpropriotectionâ€ and â€œsensifitâ€.

And can each shoe really have so many features? The list seems very long and some of it is difficult to comprehend.

There are also so many shoes to choose from â€“ even just from Salomon â€“ and so many kinds of running that buying just one pair can become extremely complicated.

However, I can see what Salomon are getting at. There is a lot of brand competition and Salomon want to be sure that buyers know that a great deal of thought has gone into the design.

The proof is in the wearing and running

I tested the Salomon CityTrail Sense Mantras by running on pavements, park trails, grass and on fairly steep hill paths in Edinburgh.

I was surprised that the shoes felt fine on both harder and softer surfaces and especially on the loose and rocky path up towards Salisbury Crags in Holyrood Park.

X-Scream

I was expecting to find the trainers too hard for the pavements and not grippy enough on the loose trails but I ran seamlessly between the two.Â The fit of the shoes is also good. The fabric, both outer and inner, is stretchy enough to be close-fitting on the foot yet not too clinging. I found the quicklace system easy to adjust and I didnâ€™t need to re-adjust while running.

I am not sure that I felt/realised/noticed all the many technical features but for a new running shoe they felt nice and comfy and I enjoyed running in them. (I am a Salomon off-road running shoe fan anyway.)

Before choosing from the many, many trainers on sale these days I would advise that runners think about where they will be running most often.Â Many people now have trainers for off-road (perhaps even off-road trails, hills and mountains) and on-road.

If you are looking for a good compromise for both, and tend to run on a mix of trails in urban areas, then Salomon CityTrail shoes are a great concept.

CityTrail route apps

It is no coincidence that Salomon have also launched a CityTrail website and apps of city-based routes across the world. This summer there will also be a series of CityTrail community running events taking place.